


Sorting the Next Generation

by orphan_account



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Gryffindor, HP: Epilogue Compliant, Harry Potter Next Generation, Hufflepuff, Next Generation, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Sorting, Sorting Ceremony, Squib, Squib Weasley, Squibs, The Sorting Hat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-04
Updated: 2015-08-04
Packaged: 2018-04-12 23:43:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 9,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4499370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every member of the next generation is sorted - every house is seen, friendships are made, romances blossom.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Teddy Lupin

The anxiety in Teddy Lupin's gut on September 1st, 2009, was enough to make him vomit. A mere 30 minutes into the long, long train ride he'd dashed off to the toilet, clutching his stomach and groaning, before splattering unattractively into the toilet bowl. He'd made his hair light brown to take attention away from himself - although it was naturally blue (most of the time, that is) he found that he stuck out rather too much if he left it blue. All Teddy wanted was to blend in.

Harry had found the letter in Remus' house when Teddy was only a couple of months old, and had given it to him when he was seven, old enough to take care of it. The faded parchment envelope read, 'For Teddy, on his first day at Hogwarts'. Teddy couldn't wait to get to Hogwarts to read it. He had to read it then and there. He'd read it many times between that day four years previously and September 1st, and every time he grew emotional. His father had loved him. That was all that mattered. 

* * *

  
_Dear Teddy,_   
  
_I don't know if you will get to read this letter. I am sincerely hoping not. If you are, that means that I (and your mother) passed away during the Second Wizarding War, or at some point before your first year at Hogwarts. I am so extremely sorry if this has happened, but our deaths hopefully contributed to the right side winning the war. That is all I ask for. You are eleven years old. I remember very clearly my first day at Hogwarts - I was terribly anxious that I would do poorly in classes, or make no friends, or someone would discover that I was a werewolf. As it was, I excelled, especially in Defence Against the Dark Arts and Charms. I wasn't spectacular at Potions, but I did well enough to get an 'E' at OWL and NEWT level. I also made four very close friends during my time at Hogwarts - James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and Lily Evans. As I write this, all are deceased. Your godfather, Harry Potter, is the son of James Potter and Lily Evans, and is one of the finest people I know. I do not know who you will live with, if you have grown up without your parents - Andromeda, Harry, or someone else - but I hope that Harry has been an influence in your life. He was very like you as a young infant - very quiet and peaceful, without a care in the world. As a teenager, he was rather more rambunctious, and I imagine you will be, too._   
  
_I love you very much, Teddy. As I write, you are lying in a cot beside me, fast asleep. Your hair is bright red, and you seem so very content. I can only hope that happiness has stayed with you throughout your life. You're a wonderful child, Teddy, and I am incredibly lucky to have you. I never thought that I would have a child, being a werewolf, but you have brought me unimaginable joy. Even in this dark, terrible time, you make me feel like I am worth something. You are an incredible young boy._

_To get into the kitchens at Hogwarts, simply find the portrait of the bowl of fruit and tickle the pear. Stay on Professor McGonagall's good side, and try not to waste too much time in detention - it just isn't worth it. Get good at not getting caught. Have fun, and stay young for as long as you can. I love you, and I hope that you have had an idyllic childhood._   
_My love,_   
  
_Dad xxx_

* * *

 

"Longworth, Jessica!" Privately, Teddy felt like heaving once more when he stood in front of the sorting hat, awaiting his sorting. He was next, he knew it. Harry had given him a long talk and a (private - he was eleven, after all) cuddle before they'd left that morning, and while he knew that Harry, Ginny and Andromeda would be proud no matter what house he was in, he still felt terrible. He was quite sure that as soon as he put the hat on, he'd be sent away - too stupid for Ravenclaw, too unkind for Hufflepuff, too open for Slytherin, too weak for Gryffindor. That fear, he had chosen not to share with his godfather, or his grandmother - both would embarrassingly fuss over him, and reassure him that he was wonderful and clever and brave and kind, even though he wasn't. "Lupin, Teddy!" His face felt odd and numb from anxiety, and his hands were cold and shaking as he made his way up to the hat. "Ah, a Lupin! I haven't seen one of you in a while!" Lupin didn't think anything back, he simply sat in stolid, unhappy silence, waiting for the hat to declare him impossible. "The silent type, eh? Good character, kind, generous...much like your father. Better be GRYFFINDOR!" Teddy blinked and sat for several more seconds after the hat was done. Surely...surely not!


	2. Victoire Weasley

Victoire's confidence was roughly 90% a show. Inside, anxiety tinged her happiness, but outwardly she made sure not to let it show. After all, gorgeous, fanciable Teddy was sitting at the Gryffindor table, watching her closely, and she was very careful not to embarrass herself in front of him. She'd fancied him since she was eight, so she'd had plenty of time to hone her skill and learn what he liked about her. He loved it when she told jokes, so she learnt hundreds, all terrible, but enough to make Teddy laugh. He'd thrown up once, from laughter - he had a bit of a delicate system, and the joke about the knarl, the pygmy puff and the banshee was enough to set it off. Victoire glanced over at him, and he gave her an exuberant thumbs up, almost elbowing his friend Evan in the face. His hair was bright ketchup red for the occasion, a show of Gryffindor pride. He was an idiot, but he was her idiot. When they were little, they'd both gotten in trouble when Teddy stole Andromeda's ancient, fragile wedding veil so that their wedding games were more realistic. A year ago, when Teddy had been a nervous second year discovering his interest in girls, and Victoire had been a ten year old with a mighty crush, he'd confided to her that he was nervous about being a bad kisser. With an expression suggesting that she was offering a giant favour, she'd casually said that maybe he could practise on her. The four inexperienced, sloppy kisses they'd shared were engrained on Victoire's brain. She hadn't enjoyed them, to be honest - it felt like a mop on her face - but she treasured the closeness the situation presented. Auntie Ginny's stories about loving Harry the moment she met him rang true in Victoire's ears.

"Weasley, Victoire!"   
Teddy gave a whoop from the Gryffindor table, which enticed a grin out of Victoire. As the hat was placed onto her head, she gave Teddy a wink.   
"Hmm...a Weasley. Courageous, cheeky, charming, much like the rest." A sudden thought entered Victoire's mind. A thought on how to distinguish herself from the rest of the Weasleys. She loved them, certainly, but she wanted to be different.   
"Put me somewhere other than Gryffindor - please!" The hat 'hmm'ed in her head, which made her smile again.   
"Certainly a talent for manipulation, and a definite slyness...you'd do well in SLYTHERIN!" An audible gasp rose around the room - a Weasley in Slytherin?! - but Victoire took it in her stride, swaggering over to the Slytherin table with a smile on her face. Across the hall, Teddy strained for a moment, before turning his hair bright green, with a silver streak running through it.


	3. Lucy Weasley

Knowing that her brilliant cousin Victoire and her sort-of-godcousin Teddy were already at Hogwarts, and had saved her a space in their compartment of the train was all that stopped Lucy from launching into a full scale panic attack. That, and the fact that her sister would be arriving the next year, bringing a big dose of home life with her to Hogwarts. "Honestly, Lucy, chill out. It's just a hat, I promise." Teddy rubbed Lucy's shoulders as she breathed heavily, her face pale and sweaty. Lucy nodded and clasped her hands together, wishing that the carriage wasn't also full of Teddy and Victoire's gang of friends.  
"Uncle Ron said he'd disown me if I was in Slytherin!" Lucy gasped, trying and failing to hold back her tears. Her dad often said that she was overly dramatic, and even her actress mother agreed. This time, however, Lucy wasn't playing. She was bloody well terrified.  
"Uncle Ron's a twat sometimes, Luce. I'm in Slytherin and Uncle Ron turned out to support Slytherin in the Hufflepuff vs Slytherin Quidditch match last year, just because he knew it'd make me happy. He's just joking, I promise."   
"Anyway, you won't be in Slytherin. You'll be a Gryffindor, like me, and like your dad. Uncle Percy and I are both so incredibly awesome that you want nothing more than to be like us!" Teddy added, striking a ridiculous pose.   
"If I have to be like you to be a Gryffindor, I'd rather be in Slytherin, thanks." Lucy replied with a smile, dragging her hand over her eyes. Teddy gasped in mock outrage.   
"I'm great! Tell the little traitor, Victoire, tell her how fantastic I am!"   
"Sorry, mate - I don't lie." Pretending to be furious, Teddy stormed from the carriage, before popping back in with a cheeky grin. Lucy relaxed a little. With those two around, she'd be fine.

Why on earth did she happen to be the last one in the register? Standing alone in front of the sorting hat, Watkins, Jane still being sorted, she felt uneasy. Not anxious, not like on the train, but unhealthily uneasy. As soon as Jane entered Slytherin (Lucy vaguely registered that the girl was a muggleborn, and smiled when the entire table cheered), Lucy dashed up to the stool, not even waiting for Professor McGonagall to call her name.   
"Another Weasley, how delightful...your father was responsible for the entirety of his year catching lice, you know. You're a lot like him. Extremely intelligent, but you seem rather more fragile than him."   
"I'm not fragile!" Lucy indignantly thought back, crossing her arms at the comment. The hat laughed into her head.  
"Whatever you say. I know just where to put you...RAVENCLAW!" Lucy grinned at the proclamation and ran to the blue table, where she was welcomed with open arms. The entire Potter-Weasley clan had been profiled many times in The Prophet, so they were aware of her father's clever reputation. Ravenclaw opened its arms to those who’s reputation preceded them.


	4. Molly Weasley

"I really think she must be a squib..." Nine year old Molly's eyes widened as she listened at the door of her mother and father's room, curiosity having overtaken her when she overheard her own name mentioned.   
"She might just be a late developer, you never know."   
"Audrey, even the most inept witches and wizards usually show some sign of magic by the age of nine. She must be non-magical." Molly couldn't stop herself from pushing the door open violently, tears in her eyes. Percy and Audrey both jumped at her sudden appearance.  
"Really, Molly-" Percy began to scold, but Audrey placed a hand on his arm to stop him.   
"Did you overhear us, sweetpea?" Molly nodded and threw herself at her mother, burying her face in the plump woman's chest. Audrey stroked her back as she sobbed.   
"Maybe...maybe I could have a word with Hermione." Percy awkwardly offered after several moments. Molly raised her head.  
"What can Auntie 'Mione do?"   
"Well, a few years ago she suggested that perhaps Hogwarts could open a section for squibs - teaching History of Magic, Muggle Studies, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, basic Potions and the like. Perhaps as the Minister of Magic, she can push it through within a couple of years, before you go to Hogwarts..." Molly leapt across and hugged her dad, too.

"I am extremely proud to announce, that Hogwarts School for Non-Magical Wizarding Children now opens! Held within the grounds of Hogwarts, with integration in several subjects but separate Houses, it will offer magical education and job opportunities for 'squibs' aged eleven to eighteen, as well as correspondence education to those 'squibs' who missed out on the chance to attend. As this is unique - there are no other magical education opportunities for 'squibs' worldwide, pupils from all over the world are invited. This year, we welcome our first batch of 370 squibs aged eleven to eighteen. Welcome to Hogwarts!"  
A huge group of children and teenagers cheered as Hermione Granger-Weasley spoke, her eyes bright. After Percy came to her, she'd managed to set it all up very quickly. Professor McGonagall had been excited when Hermione brought the proposal to her, and had been more than welcoming and helpful in the process of setting it up.  
"The four new Houses are named for people who were instrumental in the First and Second Wizarding Wars. The qualities each House looks for are based off of the qualities valued by the namesake of the house. The four houses are Dumbledore, Longbottom, Potter and Phoenix. Dumbledore is named for esteemed headmaster Albus Dumbledore, who protected his students throughout the two wars and extended his kindness and generosity to many. Longbottom is for Alice and Frank Longbottom, who were tortured into insanity by Death Eaters. They were known for their intelligence, wit and rationality. Potter is named for Lily, James and Harry Potter. Lily and James sacrificed themselves, ending the First Wizarding War, and years later Harry did the same, effectively ending the Second Wizarding War. Their bravery and courage saved many lives. Phoenix is named for the entirety of the Order of the Phoenix, a rebel group who saved lives and helped end both wars. Many of their members died - Fabian and Gideon Prewett, Sirius Black, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, Fred Weasley, and many others. They worked as a team, and were patient and willing. These Houses will work closely together, but will also be instrumental in helping new pupils find friends. Now, let the first sorting commence!"   
Molly was dizzy with delight as she awaited her sorting. She would be learning magic! Although she couldn't use a wand, or do actual magic, she could care for magical creatures, brew many potions, learn herbology, learn and perhaps eventually teach Muggle Studies and so many other things! When Molly was called up, she glowed with pleasure. It was her squib-hood which had created this, and lead to better education for squibs like her.

When she was sorted into Dumbledore, no one was surprised.


	5. Dominique Weasley

"Dommy! Time to go!"   
Dominique sighed at the childhood nickname and sloped out of her bedroom, a rucksack flung over her shoulder. Her trunk was already in the car along with Victoire's, but she needed her mobile and some books for the journey. Fleur had almost killed her when she found her with her recently purchased wand, messing with the mobile.  
"Dominique! What are you doing?"   
"Fixing my mobile so that I can use it at Hogwarts. Energy charm, nothing difficult." Fleur had boxed her ears, but then yanked her into a tight hug.  
"You're my clever leetle girl, Dominique. You should 'ave gone to Beaxbatons, you could have done so well..."   
"I'll do well at Hogwarts, too, maman. Better signal, too..." she replied, flashing a cheeky smile. Fleur laughed.  
"You're not to use your wand again until school, my love."

Sat on the train, Dominique was using her wand already.   
"Lumos! Nox!" Victoire rolled her eyes and pushed her sister's shoulder.  
"Stop it, loser. You'll shame the family and be in Ravenclaw if you carry on." Teddy, already a cool, superior sixth year, chuckled.   
"Leave her be, Vic. Hey, Dominique, want to know how to make rude words appear in the air?"   
"Yeah!" Teddy quickly showed Dominique the incantation, and she delightedly repeated it. 'Poo' appeared in the air, and after a devious smile, a much worse word appeared too. "Oi, Ted, why have you never taught me that one?" one of Victoire's friends asked, a grin on her face. She said the incantation and chuckled when more dirty words appeared in the air.   
"Much as I like doing this, I am a prefect, and I'll assign you detention if you carry on." Teddy added, his eyes twinkling.  
"Ooh, I dare you." Victoire replied, casting the spell. Teddy reached out and wagged a comical finger in her face.   
"That's a private detention with me, Victoire." She snickered and reached forward to kiss him, which Dominique promptly responded to by gagging violently. She still wasn't quite used to her almost-fifteen year old sister and her sixteen year old cousin-ish being together.

Having one cousin in Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, and a sister in Slytherin (as well as a squib cousin in the squib section of the magically extended hall) made Dominique feel quite calm. She sincerely doubted that she'd be put into Hufflepuff, and she wasn't a squib, meaning that she would almost certainly have someone she knew within her house. "Weasley, Dominique!" The hat slipped onto her petite head and covered right down to her nose. She took after her mother in that way - tiny and lean.

"Very clever - very, very clever. A thirst for learning."  
"Ravenclaw, then."   
"I quite agree...RAVENCLAW!"


	6. James Sirius Potter

"James, you're going to get in trouble!"   
Albus stared anxiously at his older brother as the boy whispered furiously to his wand, hoping beyond hope that it'd work. Once James was done, he turned to look at his little brother.  
"Albus, just shut up - it'll be fine, trust me."  
"Mum'll go mental if she catches you!"   
James gave a frustrated sigh. "If you shut up for two seconds, I won't get caught!" James was ridiculously excited to go to Hogwarts. He adored his parents and siblings, but the thought of a whole year of independent mischief, far away from them, was extremely attractive. That, and being the first Gryffindor except for Teddy in the family. All of his aunts and uncles, as well as his own parents, had been quite shocked that all of his cousins had been Slytherin or Ravenclaw. He was quite sure he'd be a Gryffindor himself. He'd miss his computer, and his phone (though he'd heard through the grapevine that Dominique had worked out a way to make them work at Hogwarts), but mostly, he was excited to use magic. He couldn't count the number of times he'd been punished for stealing his mother or father's wand and using it to cause havoc - he'd only been just about nine the worst time, when he'd accidentally turned Lily into a flaming red rabbit. There had been many other incidents like that...but now, he had his own wand.   
"Alohamora!" The door to Ginny's Potions room popped open, and James turned to grin at Albus.  
"We're in!" Albus fled when he saw his mother standing behind James, inside of the Potions room, slowly lowering her hands onto his shoulders.

"How strict is Neville at school?" Victoire laughed.   
"Not at all strict. Everyone loves him - the number of Herbology NEWTs has gone through the roof - so he doesn't need to be."  
"Do you think he'll be a chilled head of House?"  
"I reckon he's a bit calmer than old McGonagall must have been. She's retiring at the end of this year and she's still full of fire." James nodded and settled into his seat, taking a swig of pumpkin juice. Victoire, Dominique, Molly and Lucy's friends all seemed to adore him already, despite him being younger than them. One of Molly's friends, a French girl called Margot, seemed especially enamored with him, especially when he held her hand against his wand and cast spells. She felt the warmth of the magic, and immediately adored James for giving her that feeling. James flashed her a grin as he worked his magic - not his literal magic, of course, the magic that came with having such a charismatic personality. When Margot went to the toilet, Molly ruffled his hair.   
"Thanks, James. She needed that."

James was the only one of the first years who swaggered confidently to the front of the hall, already a leader amongst them. The others followed him, whispering amongst themselves about this confident boy who so resembled the brave Harry Potter. As the first half of the children were called up, they all looked at James, wondering what he thought of them. Soon, his own turn came. Unlike stories he'd heard of the hat talking to the student, debating with them, within a second of it touching his head it shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" James swaggered away with a smirk on his face.


	7. Scorpius Malfoy

"What house do you want to be in, Scorpius?"   
If any of his friends had seen him like that, curled up to his mother while she stroked his hair, Scorpius would have died. As it was, the two were alone in the house (his father had been called out by St Mungos due to a shortage of Healers - time booked off be damned, they needed him), and so Scorpius absorbed the affection.   
"I don't really know, mum. Maybe Slytherin like you and dad." Astoria carded her son's hair, leaning into drop a kiss on his head.   
"I think you'd be a very good Hufflepuff." Scorpius looked up, smiling.   
"Really? I don't think I'm kind enough for Hufflepuff."   
"You're very kind, Scorp." Astoria responded, before smiling. "You'd be a brilliant Ravenclaw, too, you know. You're extremely clever." Before Scorpius could respond, the floo roared to life and Draco stepped into the living room, his face creased with stress. He sank into his armchair, looking across at his wife and child.  
"Are you alright, love?" Astoria asked, taking in the huge bags under his eyes and the sheer whiteness of his skin. Draco gave a non-committal shrug.   
"Little girl died of dragonpox. She'd have been in your year, Scorp." Without prompting, Scorpius got up and launched himself at his father, hugging him tightly. Right then, the man needed the affection.

It took 30 minutes for Scorpius to find a seat on the Hogwarts Express. There seemed to be no empty compartments, and he knew no one in his own year. Eventually, he decided to simply sit in a corridor, but a willowy blonde prefect told him that he had to move.  
"There's nowhere to go!" he protested. She shrugged.  
"Are you a firstie?" Scorpius nodded and swallowed, willing himself not to cry. He was terrified that he was already in trouble.   
"I have three cousins starting in first year this year. You can sit with them." Scorpius nodded and croaked out a thank you, licking his lips. He was terrified. He was terrified that his father's reputation would precede him, or that he'd make no friends. As the prefect opened the compartment door, fear overwhelmed him once more. Inside sat a boy who looked identical to the famous Harry Potter, a girl with bushy red hair and a mixed race boy with murky black eyes. All stopped talking and turned to stare at the boy. "Found another firstie. Look after him." As she left, Scorpius sat down and let the restarted conversation wash over him. By the end of the train ride, Rose Weasley and Albus Potter were firm friends, even if Fred Weasley seemed rather more distant.

"Where do you want to be, then, Scorpius?" Scorpius gave a little shrug. Rose had battered him with questions for the entire journey, and now, on the little boat, she gave no indication of stopping.  
"I don't mind. Anywhere, really."   
"I'd like to be in Ravenclaw, I think. None of my family care much about working hard except for my mum, so it'd be a nice change to be around like-minded people."   
"Oi!" Albus exclaimed, making Scorpius jump. He'd always been a jumpy boy. "I work bloody hard! Just because I'm not a smarty-pants like you doesn't mean I don't try!" Fred laughed.  
"You'd never be as clever as Rose, you may as well give up." Scorpius felt rather relieved that the spotlight was off of him for a moment, and leaned back to take a deep breath of cold, crisp night air. However, after a moment, he exclaimed,  
"Wow!" The stars were stunning, brighter than he'd ever seen them before. Rose, Albus and Fred looked up too (along with another girl in the boat, a colourless girl who they had all ignored after a few failed attempts at conversation). Hogwarts was beautiful.

Scorpius was glad he fell in the middle of the alphabet. That way, he got to see some other people get sorted, easing his own anxiety, while also avoiding the terror of being one of the last ones, with everyone's eyes on him. As he was called up, he forced himself to walk calmly, clamping his teeth together to stop himself from nibbling his lips.   
"Hmm, an interesting one...very courageous, but incredibly intelligent too. You'd be well suited for Gryffindor or Ravenclaw." Scorpius' stomach lurched at the sound of Gryffindor. Although he knew his parents would be proud no matter what house he was in, they had both been in Slytherin. He'd heard stories about dickish Gryffindors, and although he admired many famous Gryffindors, he felt no desire to go there.   
"No, not Gryffindor, please!"  
"Hmm, perhaps Hufflepuff, then...you have a very pure heart. You would do great things for others in Hufflepuff."   
"I don't mind. Just not Gryffindor, please."  
"Hmm..." Scorpius sat in silence, awaiting a decision. He'd heard stories of 'hatstalls', people who took a long time to be sorted. He sincerely hoped that he would not be one - how humiliating! The seconds dragged by, and while the hat hummed and hawed to itself, the crowd began to mutter. Hatstalls were quite rare, as the hat was excellent at evaluating people's personalities. His mother had almost been one - she'd taken about three minutes to sort, far above the usual thirty seconds, max. Eventually, however, the hat breathed deeply and shouted,  
"RAVENCLAW!"


	8. Albus Severus Potter

Slytherin. Slytherin. Slytherin. The word had been pounding in his head for weeks, months even, ever since James had casually said,   
"Imagine if you were in Slytherin! The Prophet'd have a field day!" Sometimes, Albus despised James. He could be funny, certainly, and his mischievous nature meant that Albus himself and Lily had gotten away with quite a lot, as young children, because his parents had been concentrating on not letting James decapitate someone. However, he was also unkind, and incredibly frustrating - why did he always know exactly the worst thing to say? Albus could be on top of the world, and one well timed word from James could demolish him. Albus had privately decided that once he had his wand he'd sneakily exert revenge on James for all the horrible things he'd ever said and done.

"So, Scorpius, when did you go to get your school supplies?" Albus stared at his cousin, trying to get her to shut up. Scorpius was clearly very uncomfortable with the bombardment of questions which Rose had insisted on throwing at him ever since Victoire had propelled the poor boy into their carriage.   
"Rose, leave him be. D'ya want to play exploding snap, Scorpius?" Rose looked annoyed at being interrupted, but seeing the sheer relief cross the blonde boy's face she relented and even played with them. Albus liked Scorpius a lot. He seemed nice enough, completely unlike his father - if his own father, the esteemed Harry Potter, was to be believed. The way he painted Draco Malfoy (although he did grudgingly admit that he had come over to the good side), he was a real dick.

Slytherin pounded through Albus' head as he stood awaiting sorting. The table of students actually looked rather friendly, and all cheered loudly as they welcomed their new students. Victoire, one of their prefects, looked incredibly proud as she welcomed new students. One boy burst into tears after being sorted into Slytherin (as Albus would later find out, this was because a Slytherin seventh year had tortured his mother during the terrifying final year of the Second Wizarding War), and Victoire dashed up from the table to grab him and comfort him, rubbing his shoulders and glowering at people who dared laugh at him - they soon sobered.   
"Potter, Albus!" Albus was a ball of nerves as he walked up. Thus, he practically jumped out of his trousers when the hat immediately shouted,   
"RAVENCLAW!" Perhaps not a Slytherin after all, then.


	9. Fred Weasley

With the Weasleys, Fred and his little sister Roxanne were the only mixed race people, and stuck out like sore thumbs, for their dark skin contrasted sharply with the pallid appearances of the rest of the family. With the Johnsons, they had the same problem, except that they were the palest there, their not-quite-black skin practically white in the eyes of some of their black relatives. Fred was very used to sticking out. He was determined that once at Hogwarts, he'd stick out there too. He'd be extraordinary. People would discuss him for years to come. Professor McGonagall, occasional dinner guest at his own home, would be glad she'd retired before he came to spill chaos throughout the ancient halls of Hogwarts. His cousin

James was already doing a pretty good job of It, but Fred knew he'd be better. Anything that Fred tried, he was good at. He'd mastered flying within half an hour, and it had taken less than a month to teach him how to read (however badly).  
"Freddie! Time to go!" Fred thundered down the steps, excitement filling him. Hogwarts! He was going to Hogwarts!

"Fred Weasley, you look a mess. Brush your hair!" Fred rolled his eyes at the fussing of his oldest cousin, Victoire. Honestly! It's not like his hair ever did lie flat, he may as well just give up anyway.  
"Honestly, Vic, you'd think I was going to a bloody wedding, not school." She gave him a playful smack on the arm.  
"I can dock points from you, mister, don't think I won't!"  
"As if. I'm far too adorable to punish!"  
"Try telling that one to Neville, or Professor Vector, or Professor Sinistra. They won't be impressed!" Knowing that Victoire would be at Hogwarts had eliminated any anxiety Fred may have felt. She was his favourite cousin, definitely, and he knew that he was one of hers.  
"Yeah, but they're old. You're my cousin, and even you can't resist me..." Victoire let out a mock squeal.  
"Sicko! I need to go and say bye to Teddy, go and get on the train. Rose and Albus will be waiting for you."  
"Ugh! Why, out of all of our bloody cousins, do I end up with the two nerds in my year?" Victoire smirked, but slapped at him again, propelling him towards the train.   
"They're lovely and you know It. If I told your mother what you'd just said she'd have your guts for garters. Now go, get on the train - I'll see you later."

Standing at the front of the hall, with only himself, Rose and a boy called Geoffrey Zabini left, Fred still felt as cool as cucumber. Half the bloody hall was related to him, after all - even if he made a tit of himself, it wouldn't be too terrible. However, he was fairly sure he wouldn't. He'd inherited the confidence of both of his parents, and knew that everything would be fine.   
"Weasley, Fred!" Fred flashed Neville - Professor Longbottom - a grin as he approached the seat. He was the most popular headmaster Hogwarts had ever seen, possibly even more so than Dumbledore. It felt good to remember that he had seen Neville as pissed as a fart, dancing in his pants at a Christmas party.  
"Hmm...cunning, very cunning. Manipulative. You'd do very well in Slytherin."  
"I think I'd be a better Gryffindor, personally. I'm not a big enough dick to be a Slytherin." If the hat had had eyes, it'd have rolled them.  
"Definitely Gryffindor material, too. Perhaps you'd do better in...GRYFFINDOR!" Fred swaggered down the table and flung himself in beside James.


	10. Rose Weasley

Rose Weasley had been diagnosed, aged nine and a half by a muggle Doctor, as having OCD. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The healers had done nothing - they'd simply given Ron and Hermione a large supply of calming draughts and told them that Rose would doubtless grow out of it. The muggle doctor had signed Rose up for counselling. The muggle doctors seemed to have a much better idea of what they were doing.  
"Rosie, do you want to play Quidditch with me, Hugo, James and Albus?"  
"No, daddy, thank you."   
"Why not?" Ron squatted down to sit beside his eleven year old daughter, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. He knew exactly why, but Hermione had whispered to him that she needed to be listened to.   
"Someone will get hurt." Ron sighed.  
"I have about a million protective spells up, Rosie - there's even a cushioning spell on the ground. C'mon, love - it's your last chance before Hogwarts!" Rose's eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head.  
"Sorry dad. I'll come and watch, but I really can't play."

Rose packed and unpacked her trunk seven times, trying to ignore the horrible, stomach-twisting thought that if she went to Hogwarts, her entire family would die. Some days, she felt good. Some days, the intrusive thoughts never came, and she could go about the day happily. Other days, she was crippled by the anxiety, the terror, the overwhelming feeling of pre-emptive loss. Today was one of those days.   
"Rose?" Hugo peered around his sister's door, eyes wide. She waved him in.  
"I'll miss you, when you're at Hogwarts. You have to write to me at least once a week, and come home every single holiday." Rose nodded and smiled, ruffling his hair.   
"Of course, Hugo. I'll send you a letter once a week, and I'll put a note in my letter for mum and dad for you, too." Hugo grinned and attacked his sister with a huge hug. Without warning, the tears came - Rose's eyes welled up and tears began to streak down her face. Hugo felt a drop land on his face and looked up.   
"Rosie, what's wrong?"  
"I'm going to miss you so much! Please stay safe, Hugo - promise me you'll stay safe, and-"   
"Rose, don't worry about me. I will be fine - I'll even sneak through the floo and visit you if I need to, I can nick Uncle Harry's cloak." Rose laughed thickly through her tears and clung more tightly to her brother. "If you do that, mum'll wallop you, or gran'll wallop you, and if they don't, I will."  
"Nah you wouldn't."  
"No." The two stood and hugged for a long, long while, and when they broke apart, Rose found herself feeling much calmer.

"Another Weasley...very different to your cousin. You're a clever one, much like your mother. Extremely brave, too." Rose laughed aloud, startling everyone in the hall. Was she quite mad?   
"I'm not brave. I'm a wimp." The hat disagreed.   
"You are brave. You protect those you love before yourself...you'd make an excellent Gryffindor. However, I feel that you'd be better placed in...RAVENCLAW!" As Rose dashed away from the front of the hall and collapsed at the Ravenclaw table, Scorpius and Albus both grinned at her, and Dominique and Lucy smiled from down the table. She'd be okay.


	11. Louis Weasley

"Louis, stop worrying. Honestly, everything will be okay. Me and Vic will kick anyone's arses if they pick on you, don't worry."   
Louis Weasley was the type of child that most people overlooked. Small, skinny and sickly looking, with sallow white skin and hair so blonde it was almost white. He was attractive, certainly - he had too many of his mother's genes not to be - but he was far frailer than any other Weasley.   
"What if people don't like me?"   
"They will. Honestly, Louis, you'll be popular. Your sister's head girl and your other sister's a prefect, we can scare people into liking you, anyway." Louis' face crumpled.   
"I don't want you to scare people!" Dominique sat down on the old, battered sofa in their living room and pulled Louis onto her lap, much as she'd done when he was a little boy and she was only ten or eleven herself. He was so tiny that he still fitted perfectly, despite her being a rather petite girl. Louis rested his face in the crook of her neck, ignoring the impulse which screamed at him that ELEVEN WAS TOO OLD!   
"Look, Louis, if you're in Slytherin, people'll respect you because you're Victoire's brother. If you're in Ravenclaw, people will respect you because you're my brother. Everyone in Hufflepuff is lovely anyway, and in Gryffindor, James and Fred will look after you. I bet you'll have a million friends within a week. Just be your annoying self." Louis smiled.   
"I will be, I'll be as annoying as ever. I'll hide spiders in people's beds if they're mean to me, like you did to Vic." Both siblings laughed - when the children had been very little, Dominique had hidden spiders in Victoire's bed after Victoire pushed Louis over. Victoire had gotten into the bed, and had ended up covered in horrible bites. Dominique had ended up in bags of trouble, but it'd been worth it to protect Louis.

"Hey, can I sit in your carriage?" Instead of sitting with his cousins or siblings, Louis had elected to sit by himself in a carriage, praying for a silent few hours in which he could gather his courage. Barely five minutes had passed, and already someone was sticking their face In. It was a girl, obviously his own age, with a shock of bright purple hair. Before Louis could respond, she flopped into the carriage and practically threw her trunk onto the shelf.   
"Hi, I'm Hannah." She told him, thrusting her hand at him. He shook it gingerly, eyeing her.   
"I'm Louis." There was a silence, before Hannah threw a sweet at Louis.   
"It's just a boiled sweet, not a magical one, I'm afraid - I've known I was a witch since I was four, but I wasn't allowed to go to Diagon Alley until my Hogwarts letter came."  
"Since you were four?" Louis questioned. Hannah nodded vigorously.  
"Metamorphmagus muggleborn. Very very rare. Had Professor McGonagall round when I was little explaining to my parents that I was a witch and I could change my appearance. She put a spell on me so I couldn't change my appearance until I got on the train." As if to illustrate her point, Hannah took on an expression of violent concentration, and her hair suddenly grew by a foot, all while turning bright custard yellow. Louis laughed.  
"Can you do any tricks? My cousin is a metamorphmagus, he does loads of cool stuff..." Hannah shrugged.   
"I haven't experimented much yet. Tell me about you - what house do you want to be in?" Louis shrugged.  
"Don't mind. I have people in every house, except for Hufflepuff, but they're all nice, apparently. You?"  
"Gryffindor!" Louis nodded.   
"I'd like to be a Gryffindor."   
"Hey, we should both be in Gryffindor - I'd like a friend to be in with me!"  
"A friend?"  
"Of course you're my friend! You let me in your carriage!"

Years later, when Louis' children asked him to recall his sorting, he couldn't remember a single detail. All he remembered was Hannah gripping his hand as they lined up, the hat shouting "GRYFFINDOR!", and him collapsing with relief at the table. All he knew was that it had been the happiest day of his life, for he'd found his first friend outside of his family, as well as a home in Gryffindor.


	12. Lily Luna Potter

James Potter was quite certain that his sister would be a Gryffindor. Even as a toddler, she'd been courageous - crawling under their mother's legs as she sat in an armchair and into the kitchen to sneak biscuits for herself and her brothers, her chubby knees silent on the carpet. As she got a little older, her exploits on the broom became notorious amongst the family - whenever she visited any of her cousins, Harry and Ginny warned them to lock their brooms away, or they'd find Lily standing on one fifty foot in the air. "Lily, I dare you to go and climb the whomping willow!" At the end of their garden, protecting a battered shed where Harry kept some possessions and letters which he under no circumstances wanted his children to mess with, was a cutting from the Hogwarts Whomping Willow. It was only small, and all three children had worked out at an early age how to 'pause' it, but a lot of fun could be had with it. James had ended up losing his broomstick for the entire summer after trying to climb it without 'pausing' it and breaking his arm in the process.  
"Not unless you get Albus to do it, first." James laughed.  
"There's no chance of that, Lils. He's so scared of getting into trouble!" A smirk appeared on Lily's face.  
"Exactly. Get Albus to do it, and I'll climb to the top."

Lily sat demurely on the sofa, listening to her mother shout at Albus. James sat beside her, a grin splitting his face.  
"YOU SAW JAMES FALL- ALBUS, WHY WOULD YOU BE SO SILLY?"  
"James put my-"   
"YOUR WAND WAS IN YOUR ROOM, SO DON'T GIVE ME THAT EXCUSE AGAIN!" James turned to his sister, a wicked smile on his face.  
"Were you planning on climbing the Whomping Willow at all?"  
"No." Lily replied, smiling widely. "I just wanted to see if you'd do what I said, and if my levitation spell of his wand would work." James rolled his eyes. "A right little Gryffindor, you are."

Out of the entire Potter-Weasley extended clan, Lily was the most confident as she strolled up the hat. There had never been any chance of nerves, or anxiety - she was calm, cool and collected. She smiled as the hat was placed on her head - she was sure it wouldn't take long to sort her.  
"Hmm...keen mind, very sly and manipulative...you know when to look after yourself and when to look after others...better be SLYTHERIN!" Lily laughed at the look of shock and horror on James' face as she skipped over to the Slytherin table, flinging herself down with pleasure. James might have thought she'd be a Gryffindor, but Lily had always known that Slytherin would be the house for her.


	13. Lorcan Scamander

"Lorcan, have you definitely packed pants?"   
Lorcan smiled at his father and nodded.  
"Twelve pairs. Name sewn in. Folded neatly."  
"Socks?"   
"Twelve pairs. Name sewn in. Folded neatly." Rolf gave his son a good natured push on the shoulder.  
"A 'yes' would suffice, son."  
"Sir, yes sir!" Lorcan replied, saluting. Rolf chuckled.   
"You're a mad one. If anyone picks on you, tell your head of house, or Lysander."  
"I will, dad. Don't worry. Is mum coming to the station with us?" Newt ruffled his hair.  
"She's flooing directly to Hogwarts so that she can get some animals sorted for her classes. You'll see her at the feast, lad, and I'll be at the station with you." At that moment, Lysander thundered downstairs towards the door, stopping briefly to punch his brother in the arm.   
"C'mon! I want to go to the station!" Lorcan and Rolf shared a smile. Lysander never would learn that patience was a virtue.

"Lorcan! I've missed you!" Lily flung her arms around Lorcan's neck, pulling him close to her. The two had been close friends for pretty much their entire lives, but in the rush of preparing for Hogwarts, Luna, Newt, Harry and Ginny hadn't been able to organise a meeting for a solid two months. Lorcan smiled and hugged Lily back.   
"I've missed you too, Lily. Shall we bid adieu to the parents and find a seat on the train?" Lily nodded and turned to her parents, goodbyes spilling out of her mouth as she hugged them both tightly. Lorcan turned to his father.  
"Bye, dad. I suppose I'll see you if I visit mum." Newt grinned.  
"That you will. No need to worry about letters, I'll only be a few corridors away." After a brief hug, Lorcan boarded the train. Lysander was already on and sitting with a crowd of boys, all of whom seemed to be older.   
"Oi! Lorcan! Want to sit with us?" Lorcan shook his head.   
"I'm going to sit with Lily. I'll see you at the castle!"

As Lily was called up to be sorted, Lysander slipped in next to Lorcan.  
"Excited?" Lysander whispered. Lorcan smiled.  
"Not really. Nervous. I want to kill dad for saying we had to fight a hippogriff." Lysander gave a lazy smile.  
"Mum didn't tell you the truth?"  
"No. Did she tell you?"   
"Nah. You're such a mummy's boy, though, I would have thought that she'd tell you..." Lorcan punched his brother in the arm.   
"Git." At that moment, Professor Longbottom called,   
"Scamander, Lorcan!" Lysander squeezed his brother's shoulder as Lorcan walked up. He was obviously nervous, for he shook when he walked, and let out a little squeak when the hat covered his eyes.  
"Hmm...son of two esteemed Ravenclaw students, but you seem different...you're very kind hearted, humorous, loving...you'd be well put in HUFFLEPUFF!" Lysander stared in shock at his brother as the boy fled to the table of black and yellow.


	14. Lysander Scamander

Ever since infancy, Lysander had been his brother's protector. At muggle primary school, he'd had to stand facing the wall during countless break times and lunches for fighting, all because he'd been defending Lorcan from bullies. He'd stepped in and taken punishments for Lorcan when his twin had misbehaved, all because he didn't want Lorcan to cry. He had sat with him and held his hand as he cried night after night, wondering why people didn't like him. The idea that they would be in different houses had never even crossed Lysander's mind.   
"What house should we be In, Lorc?" Lorcan shrugged.  
"I don't think I mind too much."  
"I want Ravenclaw or Slytherin. We should try for Slytherin." Lorcan gave an absent nod, and Lysander failed to notice how disinterested his twin looked.  
"Don't forget to ask the hat for Slytherin. Beg it, if needs be."  
"I won't forget." Lorcan's words were monotonous, but Lysander still didn't notice. In his eyes, he was doing what he always did - protecting his brother.

"Lysander, do you want some chocolate for the way down?"   
"No thanks, mum." Luna carded her fingers through Lysander's hair, smiling as he wriggled away.  
"You're such a big boy, now. I remember when you were a tiny little boy running around naked after your bath."  
"Muuuuuuum!" Lysander groaned, blushing. Luna chuckled.  
"Lorcan used to sit in the bath and stare at you in complete amazement. He never was very boisterous, not like you, my little tornado." 'Little Tornado' was a nickname Lysander hadn't heard for many years, and it elicited a smile out of him.  
"I'm going to miss you, mum."   
"I understand. I'll miss you too." In reality, Lysander would see more of his mum than in previous years, due to them both being at Hogwarts at the same time. Luna, however, knew exactly what he meant.

Seeing Lorcan sorted into Hufflepuff filled Lysander with a terrible rage. Lorcan had promised! He'd agreed that they'd both be in Slytherin! He glanced at his mother up at the staff table, and felt even more enraged when he saw that she looked as blissfully serene as usual. It wasn't fair! When his name was called, Lysander stomped up to the stage, arms folded, and threw himself into the chair.   
"Hmm...very protective and loving, you're a very good boy..."  
"I want Slytherin." Lysander thought back, a frown on his face.   
"I do see a thirst for success, a longing to achieve better things...SLYTHERIN!" Lorcan didn't understand the nasty face that Lysander pulled at him from across the room, and took a deep sip of pumpkin juice to hide his confusion and sadness.


	15. Hugo Weasley

 

" _Hugo has trouble paying attention in class, and often daydreams instead of completing work set. No matter what methods are tried to help him focus, Hugo never seems to get any better._ "   
Hugo gulped as his mother read aloud from his school report. She an d Ron had decided that Rose and Hugo should be taught by their grandmother until the age of seven, when they'd start at muggle school - both parents considered seven old enough to keep their magic a secret. This report, however, was the last in a long line of terrible reports from the school. Countless tests had revealed that Hugo didn't have any kind of learning disability or developmental delay, he was simply a dreamy little boy who got distracted far too easily.   
"Hugo, honestly, you'll need to buck up when you get to Hogwarts. If you don't work hard you'll end up having panic attacks when you try to learn everything ready for your OWLs." Hermione scolded, placing the report down on the table. Hermione looked towards Ron, who was staring into the distance, and coughed, making Hugo smile - evidently, she wanted him to join in on the scolding, but he'd gotten distracted. How ironic.   
"Yes, Hugo." Ron quickly put in. "What your mother said."   
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Hugo, we have this conversation every single year - I don't know what to do with you any more!"   
Hugo looked up sheepishly. "Just love me."   
Wrapping her arms around Hugo, Hermione laughed. "Alway s, Hugo. You really do need to learn to concentrate, though. What do we do with you?"   
After a moment, Ron piped up. "If I'd have gotten a report like that, my mum would've walloped me."   
Hermione ruffled Hugo's hair. "Your mother taught you!"   
"Well, she saw fit to wallop me anyway!"   
Hermione laughed, which caused Ron to laugh too. Soon the three were laughing together, despite the serious conversation. After a few moments, Hermione pulled away from where she was still holding Hugo and said,   
"No broomstick for two weeks, and be thankful you were born on August 31st rather than September 1st - if you'd had another year at muggle school and another report like that, I might have been tempted to go the way of your grandmother.  I'm half tempted now, and I haven't smacked you since you were seven. "   
Hugo knew that she was semi-serious with her second threat, and so chose to accept his punishment silently.

"Excited for Hogwarts, Hugo?"   
Rose smiled at her little brother as he carefully unpacked his bags from Diagon Alley, fervently placing some objects into his trunk, while others went into his cupboards.   
"I'm more excited to use my bloody broom!" He exclaimed. Rose laughed.   
"It's your own fault, silly - why don't you concentrate?"   
"It was all just so boring!" Hugo replied. "Why learn about maths and chemical reactions and flipping Shakespeare when I could be learning Potions and Charms and  Defence ?"   
Rose laughed once more. "So that if you choose to go into the muggle world, you have a good  grouding  in the "I have mum for that! She's the one who insisted we get the telly, and a computer!"   
A sigh escaped Rose's lips. "You need to know maths and science and English, Hugo. You use them all at Hogwarts! Potions is basically just magical Chemistry, and you need a lot of maths for working out ingredient ratios and things like that. As for English, think of all the essays!"   
Hugo stood up and stormed from his own bedroom, arms folded over his chest, while Rose simply  sighed . He'd have a terrible culture shock when he got to Hogwarts.

The train journey up largely consisted of Hugo sitting curled up beside his sister, listening to the hum of her chat with her friends. He fell asleep several times, his head resting on her lap as she methodically stroked his hair. Her OCD was coming on leaps and bounds since the prescription of 'Fluoxetine', a muggle drug which seemed to work much better in the long run than calming  draughts .   
"Hugo! You need to change into your robes now, we're nearly in Hogsmeade!"   
Sleepily, Hugo stood up and pulled on his robes over the shirt, black tie and trousers which he already wore, feeling rather smart. Rose's friends laughed.   
"He's such a sweet boy, he'll be a Hufflepuff for sure." one offered, ruffling his hair. Hugo smiled at her. Hufflepuff seemed the most gentle of all the houses, and the one which would be most accepting of his lack of concentration. However, he hoped that lack of concentration would go away when he got to Hogwarts, and was restricted purely to muggle subjects, which in his opinion were boring and unnecessary.

It was a confidence boost, seeing one of the Scamander boys sorted into Hufflepuff. There weren't many that he knew within Hufflepuff, so if he was sorted there, it would be nice to have someone he knew. Then again, the Scamander boys were seriously weird, Lorcan especially, and sharing a dormitory with him for seven years would be an...'intense' experience. Hugo smiled to himself as he awaited sorting. Lily was in Slytherin, which he had expected would happen. She always was so damn sly.   
"Weasley, Hugo."   
Hugo turned to seek out his sister on the Ravenclaw table, pulling a face at her when he saw that her hand was shyly interlaced with Scorpius Malfoy's.    
"Hmm...an interesting one. Very kind, and quite mature for your age, but completely idle. Lazy. A little arrogant about your abilities."   
"Not Ravenclaw, please, please, not Ravenclaw." Hugo thought to the hat, despite the fact that none of the hat's comments had pointed towards Ravenclaw. The hat chuckled inside of his head.   
"There's no need to worry about that. I think you're a HUFFLEPUFF!"   
Hugo grinned at Lorcan as he flopped in beside him, and Lorcan gave a faint smile back.


	16. Roxanne Weasley

Roxanne held her head high as she boarded the Hogwarts Express, walking behind her brother towards a carriage packed out with fourth year Gryffindor boys. She was the youngest of the Weasley-Potter clan by eight months, but always felt decades younger whenever there were family gatherings. Teddy and Victoire were married, for heaven's sake! She'd been born just a few months before Teddy went off to Hogwarts! She knew well that she was an accident - "A happy accident", her mother had worded it - but it still hurt to know that she wasn't planned. Everyone else had mushy stories of planning for months. She had a story of seven months of rushing around to prepare for the new baby.   
"This your sister?" one boy asked, poking Roxanne in the shoulder. Fred laughed.   
"Yeah. She's a firstie and she'll be a Gryffindor like us, so leave her be."   
"I'm Tom, Tom Jordan." The boy told her, thrusting a hand at her. Instead of shaking it, she high fived it, making them all laugh. One by one they introduced themselves to Roxanne.   
"I'm Roxanne, I once made Fred wet himself in fear, and I am twenty-two pounds overweight." Roxanne gave as way of introduction, making them all laugh again. She had a certain dryness about her which made her instantly  likeable , especially to the crackpot bunch of Gryffindor boys.

Roxanne was reluctant to part from her new Gryffindor pals to get onto the boats for Hogwarts. She knew immediately that if she got any shit from classmates, they would have her back, and would probably hex the offending 12 year olds into oblivion. It was quite comforting to think.   
"Hello."    
Roxanne twisted around, trying to spot who had greeted her, before looking down - there, was the tiniest girl she'd ever seen. She was pretty, in a sense, but was so thin that she looked sickly.   
"Hi. I'm Roxanne, Roxanne Weasley."   
"Lauren  Finnigan ."   
The two made small talk on the boat, but mostly Roxanne wanted to be safe and warm in Gryffindor tower, hanging out with the Gryffindors in her year as well as her relatives in Gryffindor. When they got off of the boats and headed inside to the sorting, she was glad of a chance to 'lose' Lauren.   
"Finnigan, Lauren!"   
The small girl ran up for sorting, and to Roxanne's dismay was put into Gryffindor. She was such a wet blanket! How would they share a dorm for seven years? There was no doubt in Roxanne's mind that she'd be a Gryffindor. Sure enough, i t only took a moment for the hat to place her in the house of the lion.

  



End file.
